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JERUSALEM-With aid from Iran, Syria has been "furiously" acquiring Russian missiles, including advance, laser-guided missiles capable of striking the entire Jewish state, informed Egyptian and Jordanian security officials told WND.The officials said some of the new missiles are capable of carrying non-conventional warheads.The information comes as Syria and Israel hold indirect negotiations ultimately aimed at some Israeli retreat from the Golan Heights, the strategic, mountainous territory looking down on Israeli population centers.According to the Egyptian and Jordanian security officials, Syria in recent weeks updated its arsenal of advanced missiles with Russian Iskander rockets, which have a range of 173 miles, and also upgraded Russian Scud-D missiles, with a range that can cover the entire Jewish state.The security officials said both the Iskanders and new Scud missiles were fitted with a laser guidance system capable of striking specific targets. They said the projectiles, some of which can be fitting with non-conventional warheads, were purchased from Russia in part with financing from Iran.The Egyptian and Jordanian officials estimated the new missile purchases were defensive in nature:"Syria is looking to create an equilibrium of terror with Israel. ... A situation where Israel will believe any strike against Damascus would be met with thousands of rockets launched into Israel, so that the Israeli government would have no choice but dialogue," said one security official.Last month, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who faces a corruption investigation described as serious, announced his office is holding indirect negotiations with the Syrian government through Turkish mediation.On the same day as Olmert's announcement, Syria's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it has "started indirect peace talks with Israel under Turkish auspices. Both sides have expressed their desire to conduct the talks in good will and decided to continue dialogue with seriousness to achieve comprehensive peace."WND first reported in February Olmert's government had been holding high-level talks with Syria via Turkey regarding renewing negotiations over an Israeli retreat from the Golan Heights.The security officials speaking to WND yesterday noted that since Israeli-Syrian talks were made public, Syrian President Bashar Assad has fielded numerous calls from European officials and was invited to visit France next month."Just because Israel is dancing with Assad, this opened the doors to him in Europe," said one security official. Meanwhile, Israeli security officials pointed out Syria continues to ship arms, rockets and missiles to the Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist organization despite the Israel-Syria talks.In February, WND reported Syria was also acquiring Russian rockets and missiles.A Jordanian security official said in February one of the main reasons Damascus did not retaliate after Israel carried out its Sept. 6 airstrike inside Syria allegedly targeting a nascent nuclear facility was because Syria's rocket infrastructure was not yet complete.The official said that after the Israeli airstrike, Syria picked up the pace of acquiring rockets and missiles, largely from Russia with Iranian backing, with the goal of completing its missile and rocket arsenal by the end of the year. The Jordanian official said Syria is aiming to possess enough projectiles to fire over 100 rockets into Israel per hour for a sustained period of time.A Jordanian official speaking to WND yesterday said Syria achieved its goal:"They have enough rockets to fire 5,000 in the opening hours of a war and then sustain a prolonged missile and rocket campaign against Israel," the official said.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=66245
As in the days of Noah...
